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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Toasted Couscous Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes

One thing I love about visiting my parents, is that I can experiment on them! They are up for pretty much any new recipe I throw at them... which makes them excellent test subjects. On this particular visit, I was looking to make something light and healthy, but really flavorful and easy. I settled on this toasted couscous salad, and it was a big hit! (We ALL went back for seconds!)

Couscous may look like a grain, but it is really a tiny pasta. Toasting it first makes it fragrant, and gives it a slightly nutty flavor. We added enough protein and veggies to make it a full but light meal, and a flavorful vinaigrette adds a LOT of flavors to bring it all together! This would be perfect lunch or a light and healthy dinner dish when you don't want to feel weighed down. - and it couldn't be much easier.

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Now, combine the cooked couscous and asparagus with the vinaigrette and
stir gently to combine.

All the water is absorbed. It is ready to be fluffed.

combine cooked couscous with vinaigrette

I prefer it served hot; however if you would
like to serve it as a cold salad, you do that!

If you
will not be serving it immediately, consider making additional
vinaigrette. This is a pasta, and it will soak up all the vinaigrette.
You don't want it to be dry when you serve it!!!

So our synopsis? Yes... it was DELICIOUS! Yes - it is healthy! Yes - it was fast and easy and would fit into the "under 30 minutes" category quite nicely! And it was a fabulous way to recycle some leftover chicken. I think it would also be really great with some pan sauteed shrimp.

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Food Nerd Notes:
So
just what exactly IS this couscous pasta? According to my research,
couscous seems to have a North African origin. Archaeological evidence
dating back to the 10th century, consisting of kitchen utensils needed
to prepare this dish, has been found in North Africa, and to this day,
couscous is known as 'the North Africa national dish'. In the Sahelian
countries of West Africa, such as Mali and Senegal,
pearl millet is pounded or milled to the size and consistency necessary
for the couscous.In
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya couscous is generally served with
vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, turnips, etc.), cooked in a spicy
or mild broth or stew, and has some meat added in (generally, chicken,
lamb, or mutton).

In preparation, semolina is sprinkled with water and rolled with the hands to
form small pellets, sprinkled with dry flour to keep them separate, and
then sieved. This
process is very labor-intensive. In the traditional method of preparing
couscous, groups of women would come together and make large batches
over several days.
These would then be dried in the sun and used for several months.
Couscous was traditionally made from the hard part of the durum, the
part of the grain that resisted the grinding of the relatively primitive
millstone. In modern times, couscous production is largely mechanized,
and the product is sold in markets around the world.

Nutritionally,
couscous is among the healthiest grain-based products. It has a
glycemic load per gram 25% below that of pasta. It has a superior
vitamin profile to pasta, containing twice as much riboflavin, niacin,
vitamin B6, and folate, and containing four times
as much thiamine and pantothenic acid. In terms of protein, couscous
has 3.6 g for every 100 calories,
equivalent to pasta, and well above the 2.6 g for every 100 calories of
white rice. Furthermore, couscous contains a 1% fat-to-calorie ratio,
compared to 3% for white rice, 5% for pasta, and 11.3% for rice pilaf.

Written Method:

Begin
by heating up the chicken broth. While broth is coming to a boil,
toast the couscous. Over moderately high to high heat, dry toast the
couscous in a wide pan, stirring as you go, until golden brown and
fragrant (about 5 minutes). Once the broth has come up to a boil, stir
in the couscous, toss in the
asparagus spears, cover and turn off the heat. After 5 minutes, the
broth should be absorbed and you can fluff it with a fork.

During
that 5 minutes, prepare the vinaigrette: combine lemon juice, olive
oil, capers, basil, lemon zest, tomatoes, green onions, tomatoes, cooked
chicken, salt and pepper. Now, combine the cooked couscous and
asparagus with the vinaigrette and stir gently to combine. I prefer it
served hot; however if you would like to serve it as a cold salad, of
course that is up to you. If you will not be serving it
immediately, consider making additional vinaigrette. This is a pasta,
and it will soak up all the vinaigrette. You don't want it to be dry
when you serve it!!!

I tried this sautéing shrimp with a little butter and white wine. The amount of pepper and lemon used was a bit overwhelming so I'll reduce the lemon and pepper by half which should bring out more of the other ingredients. The recipe is simple to assemble. Thanks for sharing.George S. Oceanside NY

About Me

I am a prototypical modern American mom. I am retired professor of Anatomy & Physiology at a private Christian University, and mother to four beautiful children (3 boys and 1 girl). I am also a food blogger, cookbook author, and have owned my own cafe. My background is a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience with emphasis on antioxidant research. My postdoctoral training was in human obesity and caloric restriction.

I grew up in South Louisiana where the best food in the world is routinely brought from the garden and the water, and put on the table. Everyone in my family of origin is a wonderful cook, so I guess it is just natural that I show my love to my family through food.

I love cooking and eating... and teaching my children the art and techniques of being in the kitchen. My mother taught me that there is always SOME part of the cooking process that even small children can help with...so my kids are indeed very familiar with the kitchen, the kitchen tools, use of homegrown herbs, etc.